First impressions matter the most for people, and they last, especially if your first impression is the only thing standing between you and the job opportunity you have been dreaming about. Your resume is your way of making a good first impression; it’s the fastest way you have to get your foot in the door. But why isn’t your resume cutting it anymore?
Here are some of the mistakes you might have fallen into and others you need to avoid at all costs.
The Format Is Dull
Imagine how long would it take you to go through hundreds of applicants’ resumes. Hiring managers go through these CV’s quickly until something catches their eyes and stops them. That’s why old fashioned black and white resumes are out of the equation when you are sending your resume out for any job opportunity. The hiring manager won’t give it a second look. You will need an eye-catching CV that stands out from the other piles.
Adding colors, hyperlinks for your LinkedIn account or other relative accounts, and highlighting important parts by using bold texts will take your resume to the next level. You can also use a contemporary font such as Calibri, Cambria, or Palatino, instead of the traditional Times New Roman.
It’s Focused on Experience, Rather Than Skills
Most people make the same mistake of listing every job they have ever had instead of focusing more on what’s relevant to the job they’re after. Instead, you need to only focus on jobs that you have had that enhanced the required skills for the job you are after and similar job opportunities. Think of your resume as a way to sell yourself to hiring managers, instead of a biography that states the history of your positions. For instance, a person with an engineering profession doesn’t need to include his extra-curricular activities related to health service. According to https://www.cbsbutler.com/blog/2017/05/the-engineering-cv-guide, your CV is your opening, your opportunity to shine, being able to sell yourself and your experiences in a concise, well-written and structured document. Regardless of how your fast food job made your communication skills better or how much you proved your commitment at your call center job back in college, you need to focus on the skills that matter of the position you are after.
Your resume should only be a maximum of one or two pages. Skipping unnecessary job listing won’t only force recruiters to pay attention to the important experience you have, but it will also help in keeping your resume short. Whether you’re an engineer, doctor, an accountant, or experienced job hunters, crafting your CV should be tailored in a direct, straight to the point approach.
It’s Filled with Clich
Young people usually feel that they don’t have anything to offer, especially if they are just starting their careers without much work experience. This might be the reason people feel tempted to add clichés in their skills section such as “leadership”, “team player”, and the usual “problem solver”. While you might think that these will make your resume longer and better, these worn-out phrases might actually do more harm than good. It’s also important to skip bragging about skills that are passé regardless of how good or proud you are. For example, if you are proficient in certain software or a program that is no longer used in today’s market, it will show that you aren’t caught up on what’s new or relevant. You can stay educated on what’s relevant by looking out for what employers are seeking. It’s also recommended not to state the obvious. Don’t add Microsoft Word, or that you can speak English. These are considered to be the obvious skills that you are expected to have.
It’s Focused on Irrelevant Duties Instead of Accomplishments
Instead of focusing on how long you’ve worked for that company or how hard your job was, you need to focus on what matters. What have you managed to add to the company and what are your accomplishments? For example, instead of writing that you have worked with kids in daycare, you can add that you have managed to develop activities or prepared holiday programs or maybe helped them and directed a play that they have enjoyed.
Resumes could easily turn into a double-edged weapon that cost you many job opportunities. Job hunting is becoming tougher and outdated resumes could kill your chances of getting picked for a job interview. That’s why you need to make sure that you steer away from these mistakes and other common mistakes to stand out from the crowd. That’s how you will make sure that your resume becomes noticed.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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